Shock absorbing system



Feb. 24, 1942. l.. E. wlLLARD 2,274,227

SHOCK' vmasomaING SYSTEM Filed sept. 1'7, 1940 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb.24, 1942 2,274,227 snoei; ABsoRBING, SYSTEM Louis E. Willard, LongIsland City,.N. Y., assigner to (Ilharles.` Zimmer, Brooklyn, N.. Y.`

Application September 17, 1940; SerialNo. 357,079

3 claims.

The present invention relates to shock absorbing systems adapted for useparticularly in conjunction with suspension springs,` chassis or framesand axles of automobiles,` wagons and. other vehicles, and also may beused for door checks and the like.

In many shock absorber systems in use today, utilizing a shock absorberyof the type in which a liquid is forced from onel place to another by apiston, the liquid serves as the resisting medium for cushioning theshock. These systems generally have such a shock absorber mounted on thelongitudinal side bars of the main frame or chassis near each wheel. Theshock absorber is what is known generally as a wing or vane. type and isprovided with an outwardly extending portion of its piston. The Varies'`or wings which function in the operating chamber of, the shock absorberhousing are secured to a portion of the piston in the chamber andoscillate with it. An operating lever orcrank arm is rigidly fixed orformed onl the outwardly extending por-- tion of the piston. This jlever is connected through linkages and articulated, linkage joints tothe axle of the ,wheel withV which the shock .absorber is designed tofunction.

Systems embodying this construction have many disadvantages. They arenoisy in operation because of the articulated joints and subject tocriticisms and rejection by the` vehicle user for this reason alone.'I'hey are costly be,- cause of the number of parts necessary forinstallation, and because of the time and labor involved in theirinstallation and/or replacement, Being connected by articulated jointsand link-` ages these systems are extremely subject to failure atcritical times. Each articulated jointrequires frequent lubrication orrubber cushions and on modern vehicles a. connection to` the.lubricating system with the resultant increasedl cost of production ofthe vehicle.

It is an object. of this invention to provide a shock absorber system inwhich the shock absorber lever or crank arms, linkages and articulatedlinkage joints arey entirely eliminated and in which a jointlesspositive drive for the pistons of the shock absorbers in the system iseffected.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a shock absorbersystem free of articulated joints utilizing a helper spring inconjunction with the main spring of the Vehicle. This helper springserves as a positive drive for the shock absorber piston,` replacing;the shock absorber arm and. usual link and articulated joint. It` alsoserves as an auxiliary spring to compensate for loss of efliciency ofthe main spring resulting from use and wear of the latter.

It is a. further object of' this invention to` provide a, novel shockabsorber system which is noiseless in operation, simple in construction,comparatively cheap in cost, easy to install and easy tofreplace orrepair.

It is a further object to provide a shock absorber system which willoperate properly under all weather conditions, i. e., be capable of allweather performance.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, this invention consists in the` novel constructionand arrangement` of parts hereinafter described and then sought to bedefined in the appended claims,l reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part hereof and which show, merely for the purposes ofillustrative disclosure preferred embodiments of the invention, it beingexpressly understood, however, that various changes may be made inpractice within the scopeof the claims without digressing from theinventive. idea.

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference charactersdenote corresponding parts:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the,chassis or frame, the axle and a' suspension spring for one wheel of anautomobile equipped with my improved shock absorber systemshowing thesystem in its neutral or normal position.

Fig. 2 is` a vertical cross section. taken along line` 2-2 of Fig. 1andl viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l on a smaller y scale showing theposition of parts of the system after the axle has. been subjected toshock, i. e., on the upthrow of the axle.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 also on a reduced scale showing theposition of parts of the system on recoil of the suspension spring, i.e., on the downthrow of the axle.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of shockabsorbing system, and

Fig. 6 is al View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a further modified formof shock absorbing system utilizing the principles of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, I0 designates a, 1ongitudinal side bar of avmain frame or chassis which mayy be a portion` of an automobile chassisor other vehicleu chassis.r H y is a suspension spring having itscentral part secured in usual articulated joints.

above the axle I3. This second shock absorber a may be supporteddirectly from the axle I3 if desired. Inasmuch as there is rigidconnection between the spring II and axle I3 through the agency ofshackle or U-bolts I2, Ythe shock Y absorber 20a is in effect supportedby the axley I3.

Both shock absorbers 23 and Zlla, inthe embodiment shown, are of thewing or vane type Well known in the art and exemplified, for example, bythose described and shown in my own previous patents numbered 2,149,129issued February 28, 1939, and2,158,645 issued May 16, 1939. Brieiiy ashock absorber of this type comprises an outer casing 2| which isprovided with suitable means for securing the same to a part of thevehicle. The casing is provided with aworking chamber 22 in which thevanes, blades or Wings 23 of an oscillatable piston 24 operate. Thepiston may have an operating portion 25 which extends externally of thecasing and which may be suitably rotated to effect functioning of theshock absorber. In well known manner, as for example that described inmy Patent No. 2,158,645, means (not shown) are provided internally ofthe casing for supplying fluid through suitable valving (also not shown)to the working chamber 22 to cause the well known operation of this typeof shock absorber. It is to be understood that any other suitable wing,cam-actuated cylinder or vane type fluid-containing shock absorberhaving an externally extending operating piston portion or shaft may beused.

In the embodiment shown, the operating portion 25 of the piston of thechassis of frame mounted shock absorber 2B is directly interconnectedwith the operating portion 25a of the piston of the axle mounted orsupported shock absorber 20a by a connection which is free of To thisend, a helper or auxiliary spring 3U is provided. This spring may be aspiral coil spring having a few turns 3|. The number of turns, strengthof the spring, its material and other physical characteristics are alldependent upon the size and weight of the vehicle with which it is to beused. Two integrally formed rigid arms or extensions 32 and 33 areprovided, one at each end of the spring 3U. These arms extend laterallyin angular relationship from the coil surface, being spaced apart by thenumber of turns of the coil and crossing each other in scissor-fashionas shown in Figs. 1 and'2. The relative length and angular dispositionof the arms is such that when they are joined to the pistons 25 and 25a.in the manner hereinafter to be described, the center of rotation of thepistons 25 and 25a and the center of the coil in the neutral position ofparts are located approximately at the apices of a triangle. In theembodiment shown this triangle is equi-lateral. Other triangles arecontemplated,

In the embodiment shown, arm 32 has its end xed as by welding at 34 tothe operating portion 25 of the piston of the frame supported shockabsorber 2D. In similar manner, arm 33 has its end xed as by welding at35 to the `operating portion 25a o the piston of the shock absorber 20a.Other suitable means for xedly attaching the arms to the operatingportion 25, 25a of the pistons may be employed. In practice welding isthe simplest and eliminates extra parts.

The coil portion of the spring is suspended in the space between theside bar I and the main suspension spring II being supported theresolely` by the connection of its rigid arms 32 and 33 with the pistonextensions 25 and 25a of the two shock absorbers 20 and 20a.

This system operates generally as follows: On

the upthrow of the axle I3 caused by a vehicle passing over a bump, thesuspension spring II moves upwardly too. This upward movement because ofthe rigid connection of the rigid arms 32 and 33 to the pistonextensions 25 and 25a causes torsion of the spring 30. The reaction ofspring 30 to the torsional force imparted to it in turn through the arms32 and 33 causes rotation of the piston extensions 25, 25a of the twoshock absorbers 2U and 20a and consequently rotates the vanes or wings23, 23a of the shock absorbers from their neutral positions shown inFig. l to positions illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. During suchmovement the well known retardina functioning of the shock absorbers 20and 29a occurs, so that the shock imparted to the axle is nottransmitted to the chassis or frame side bar I0.

' The rebound of the suspension spring II, and downthrow of the axle I3as illustrated in Fig. 4 on an exaggerated scale, causes torsion of thespring 30 in the opposite direction to that of the upthrow justdescribed and consequently causes rotation of the vanes or wings 23, 23ain opposite direction to the positions shown diagrammaticly in said Fig.4. During such rotational movement, of course, the shock absorbers 2B,20a function in their well known retarding manner so that the rebound ofthe suspension spring II is not felt in the chassis frame.

At all times as well as during both upthrow and downthrow of the axleI3, the spring 36 also acts as a ride suspension helper spring for themain suspension spring II. This helping action is more marked andeffective when the efficiency of the main suspension spring hasdeteriorated after long use.

It is to be understood that the strength of spring 30, and the length ofthe rigid arms 32 and 33 thereof are the determining factors in theextent of rotation of the wings or vanes of the two shock absorbers andthat the spring 3D used must be such as to give the required action forany particular Vehicle. In practice, for example, the spring 30 used ina shock absorbing system for a heavy vehicle must be of heavierconstruction than one for a light car. These factors are well understoodby men skilled in the art.

A modied form of shock absorbing system embodying principles of myinvention is shown in Fig. 5. In this system the helper spring has beeneliminated. The two shock absorbers 20 and 20a are interconnectedthrough the agency of a third shock absorber 2017. This shock absorber20h is preferably of the same type as shock absorbers 20 and 22a, andhas parts corresponding thereto similarly numbered and bearing thesubscript b. Its casing 2lb has a rigid arm 401 welded or otherwisepermanently iixed to it at 4I. The opposite end. oftliis arm '40 iswelded or otherwise permanently xedat`42 to the extendingv portion 25aof the piston of theaxle supported shock absorber '29m The .extendingportion 25h of the piston of the shock absorber Zlib has a rigid arm 43welded or otherwise suitably securedto it at 4.4. The opposite end ofarm 43 .is welded to or otherwise suitably xed at 45 to the extendingportion 25 of the piston of the frame supported shock absorber 2U. Arms40 and 43 are so proportioned in length that preferably in the neutralposition of all parts as shown in Fig. 5, the centers of oscillation ofthe extending portions 25, 25a, 25h of the pistons 24, 24a, 24h arelocated substantially at the apices of an equi-lateral triangle, Otherangular arrangements are, however, contemplated. The shock absorber 20his suspended in the space between the side bar I and the main suspensionspring Il, being supported there solely by the coupling arms or bars 40and 43.

In operation of this system, shock imparted to the axle I 3 will causepositive drive of the pistons of all three shock absorbers through theagency of the rigid arms 40 and 43, resultingin a very smooth vridingvehicle. Since all the shock` absorbers are entirely noiseless inoperation and since no swivel joints are used for interconnection, allnoise is entirely eliminated in the action of this shock absorbingsystem. The entire system may be quickly replaced after wear ifnecessary, or individual shock absorbers, or parts thereof, replacedsimply and quickly should repair become necessary.

It is to be noted that this system may be modied if desired to includethe helper spring system of Figs. l4 inclusive simply by thesubstitution for either or both arms 40 and 43 of helper springs similarto the helper spring 30 of Fig. 1.

A further modied form of my invention is shown in Fig. 6 wherein onlyone shock absorber is used. In this form, the single shock absorber 20dis suitably supported from the side piece l0 of the frame and the arm32c of helper spring 30o welded or otherwise suitably attached at 34e tothe piston extension 25d. The free end of the other arm 33e of thehelper spring is jointed or otherwise suitably attached at 35c to theshackle or U-bolt I2b, which attaches the suspension spring llb to theaxle I3b. The arm 33e mayy be directly jointed or otherwise suitablyattached to the axle Hb or to any other part conveniently and rigidlyassociated With the axle. The spring 30e functions both as an auxiliaryor helper to the suspension spring IIb and as a direct one jointcoupling member between the axle |317 and the extending portion 25d ofthe shock absorber piston 24d.

when the main suspension springs have begun to lose theirl efficiencythrough use and wear of the vehicle. If; for example,one ofthe systemsherein disclosed embodying helper springs is installed in an older carthe counteracting frequencies of the'new helper spring or springs willtendlto vdestroy thelnatural resonance of the old main suspension springor springs and eliminate sources of unwanted vibration.

All the systemsy herein disclosed in effect provide a knee-action ridefor front and rear of any vehicle.

While specific types of wing or vane type shock absorbers have beendescribed, it is to be understood that other types of suitable shockabsorbers may be incorporated in the systems.

Other modifications embodying theprinciples of this invention arecontemplated. IIhere is no intention of limitation to the exact detailsshown and described.

I claim:

1. In combination, a vehicle chassis or frame, an axle, a chassissupported shock absorber, an axle supported shock absorber, and meansfor directly coupling said two yshock absorbers in operativerelationship, said coupling means comy prising a spring having portionsthereof directly and rigidly connected to each shock absorber and saidspring being suspended solely yby said connected portions thereof, andconstituting with its arms a positive drive connection between thepistons of said shock absorbers which is free of articulation at allconnections between arms and shock absorber portions, and serving bothas a helper suspension spring between said chassis or frame and saidaxle and as a retarder of the transmission of motion from said axle tosaid shock absorbers.

In two of the systems abovev described, all

articulated linkage joints have been eliminated and essentiallynoiseless operation of the shock absorbing system achieved.

For convenience, the chassis or frame l0 and parts carried on it may bereferred to as the sprung parts of the vehicle and the axle I3 may bereferred to as the unsprung part of the vehicle.

In the systems embodying helper springs 30, 30a or 30h and 30e, anadditional advantage has been introduced by the utilization of suchsprings. These helper springs introduce a counteracting frequency intothe system which tends to destroy the natural period of resonance of themain suspension springs. This tendency is of marked advantage andeffective particularly 2. In combination, an unsprung part of a vehicle,a sprung part of said vehicle supported from said unsprung part, springsuspension means carried by said unsprung part and connected to saidsprung part for supporting said sprung part from said unsprung part, ashock absorber attached to said sprung part and having an operatingmember extending therefrom, a second shock absorber carried by saidunsprung part andY having an operating member extending therefrom, acoiled. auxiliary spring having crossed integral arms extendingtherefrom, each of said arms being welded directly to one of saidoperating members whereby the connection between said shock absorbersand said auxiliary spring is free of all articulated joints and thesystem of shock absorbers and coil spring is noiseless in operation, thesaid auxiliary spring lying ,between said sprung and unsprung parts andserving both as a helper spring for said spring suspension means and asa retarder in the transmission of motion of the unsprung part to thesaid two shock absorbers.

3. In combination, an unsprung part of a vey hicle, a sprung part ofsaid vehicle supported from said unsprung part, spring suspension meanscarried by said unsprung part and connected to said sprung part forsupporting the latter Vfrom said unsprung part, a shock ab' sorberrigidly attached to said sprungpart and having an oscillating piston andan operating member attached to said piston and extending outwardly ofsaid absorber, a second shock aby sorber rigidly connected with saidunsprung part also having an oscillating piston and an operating memberattached to its piston, a coiled auxiliary spring having integralcrossed arms'.

extending'f'rom its ends', eachof said arms being directly welded toonev of said operating members so that said auxiliary spring liesbetween said sprung and unsprung parts and whereby the interconnectionof said shock absorbers and said auxiliari7 spring is free of allarticulated joints and the 'system of sho'ck absorbers and coil springis noiseless in operation, the said coil spring serving as a helperspring for said spring suspension means and as a retarder of thetransmission of motion of the unsprung part to the 5 said pistons ofsaid shock absorbers.

LOUIS E. WILLARD.

